A new research has revealed that a large number of men suffering from prostate cancer are undergoing aggressive treatment. The study appeared in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

In the study, researchers analyzed the information from the government's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database.

On Monday, the researchers revealed that in case of 75% of the men suffering from prostate cancer, aggressive treatment was not required.

Usually, PSA levels of 4.0 nanograms per milliliter are employed to determine whether a man diagnosed with prostate cancer requires a biopsy or other follow-up.

Some experts are of the view that the cut off levels should be 2.5. In the latest study, the authors have said that if the levels are reduced then the number of men having unusual PSA levels would become twice.

This would reflect a dangerous trend because many more men would have to go in for treatment. The number would then become 6 million.

The research was conducted by Grace Lu-Yao, Cancer epidemiologist of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and her co-workers.

The researchers focused on 123,934 men who were above 25 years of age and had prostate cancer.

In this group, 14% of the patients had less than 4 PSA levels. They discovered that 54% of patients in this group had lower risk levels and the development of the diseases could be monitored safely in them.

Moreover, three-fourth of these patients got aggressive treatment that was not required.